Hampshire's finest? (bit of a long post)

[Dave Davenport]

I've made a complaint via the the 101 line, they said 'if' they can trace the officer in question (I'd be surprised if there were more than two 4x4 driving PO's on duty in the forest at that time) they will get his sergeant to speak to him.
It's a classic 'if you can't safely overtake two cyclists abreast then you can't safely overtake a single cyclist' stretch of road. He was actually saying that he would have overtaken sooner if we'd been single file even though he didn't have sight of approaching traffic, which would have been verging on careless driving in my opinion. So I was preventing a crime really

 

[Tin Pot]

Dont tar them all with the same brush. Its like saying all cyclists are morons.

Which is only partially accurate.

 

[steveindenmark]

Which is only partially accurate.

My point exactly.

 

[Roadhump]

Sounds like the officer realised he was on a loser having come up against someone who was well informed and knew their stuff, and decided to backpedal and try to back down losing as little face as possible.

I agree with @steveindenmark, there are plonkers and people who let the side down in all walks of life and there are probably many cops who are cyclists and who would sympathise with the OP more than their colleague. This officer does sound a bit dim though challenging someone when not really knowing where he stood himself and making a fool of himself as a result.

For me, it is yet another example of the road using culture in this country where most people assume that bikes are lower down the importance scale than motor vehicles and should always therefore yield to cars etc. I don't know the content of the modern driving test syllabus but surely it could be amended to promote awareness that sometimes it is appropriate for motorists to exercise some patience with more vulnerable road users, and for different types of road users to make allowances for each other.

 

[Bollo]

I've made a complaint via the the 101 line, they said 'if' they can trace the officer in question (I'd be surprised if there were more than two 4x4 driving PO's on duty in the forest at that time) they will get his sergeant to speak to him.
It's a classic 'if you can't safely overtake two cyclists abreast then you can't safely overtake a single cyclist' stretch of road. He was actually saying that he would have overtaken sooner if we'd been single file even though he didn't have sight of approaching traffic, which would have been verging on careless driving in my opinion. So I was preventing a crime really

Good luck Dave. I imagine there'll be a closing of ranks externally, but behind the scenes he'll be in the doghouse.

For @steveindenmark, @Roadhump and others, the issue here isn't that the driving was bad or even that there were verbals, it's that it was a serving police officer who at the very least was ignorant of the law, or more likely was abusing his authority for his own convenience. He doesn't get to make up the law because he's got a warrant card.

 

[Roadhump]

Thanks, @Bollo , perhaps I should have just stuck to,"Yeah, terrible behaviour, the officer's a numpty who has abused his authority, he should know better, get him reported", but I think there is a prevalent, wider issue affecting cyclists more generally, in that many motorists seem to have little understanding of why cyclists behave in certain ways on the road, and display attitudes like that of this officer. It is just that in this case the fact that the motorist is a police officer who has displayed poor standards is an aggravating factor.

It's obvious Dave's issue is with the officer and that is why he has made a complaint, if you read my post again you will see that I think the officer is out of order. I hope he learns the error of his ways and Dave gets some satisfaction from his complaint. But it seems we all do so why not move on from that and develop the discussion along the lines of possible causes of attitudes similar to that of the officer in this case, which seem prevalent amongst motorists generally and probably come from society generally rather than just the police force, and possible moves to change those attitudes in the interests of the general cycling community? This is a cyclists' discussion forum after all.

If you think moving on from us all agreeing the officer was wrong, and developing the discussion along the lines I sought to is widening the issue too much, and moving too far off topic, I apologise and will consider myself appropriately scolded.

 

[Drago]

From the description of events - and I have no reason to doubt Dave's account, he always strikes me as a reasonable sort - it's not only that the officer is factually incorrect, but there is a question mark over his conduct and behaviour. Dave is perfectly justified in raising a complaint - at the very least a training need has been identified or the officer.

I don't know about Hampshire Dibble (although I do know a few Hants orificers), but from the 2 forces in which I served there would be no closing of the ranks over something like this.

 

[steveindenmark]

Good luck Dave. I imagine there'll be a closing of ranks externally, but behind the scenes he'll be in the doghouse.

For @steveindenmark, @Roadhump and others, the issue here isn't that the driving was bad or even that there were verbals, it's that it was a serving police officer who at the very least was ignorant of the law, or more likely was abusing his authority for his own convenience. He doesn't get to make up the law because he's got a warrant card.

I totally agree with you Bollo. My point was that not all police officers are total twonkers. But this one obviously is.

 

[swansonj]

Sounds like the officer realised he was on a loser having come up against someone who was well informed and knew their stuff, and decided to backpedal and try to back down losing as little face as possible.

....

This. Conversations with police officers that end with them saying "we'll have to agree to differ" are I suspect rare - backing down is hard enough in all honesty for us civilians but rather harder for people whose training and role is to (legitimately) impose their will on others.

I'd award the officer three black marks for his attitude to cyclists ... and one gold star for the way the conversation ended.

 

[Drago]

I thing the "agree to differ" comment arose so he could withdraw with some dignity after being thoroughly checkmated by Dave.

 

[Drago]

@Dave Davenport Did you get any response to your complaint matey?

 

[Dave Davenport]

Not heard a thing.

 

[Drago]

That's worth a complaint in its own right. Ring up and get the name of the area commander, usually a supernentendo these days claiming you want the name so you can write a letter of complaint.. Then email them on firstname.lastname@hampshire.pnn.police.uk to complain that your grievance has not even been properly acknowledged. The email formula will also work for the chief Freemason if you know their name, though likely their PA manages the chief scrambled egg wearers inbox.

This lad doesn't need a word from his sergeant. His lack of knowledge and poor display of behaviour deserves an interview without coffee from at least superninetendos rank.

 

[Dave Davenport]

Thing is, 'a word in his ear' is what I requested so not sure what the proper procedure should be.
In any case my experience with Hants police hasn't been great from my point of view i.e after being told I would be arrested for a public order offence if I wanted them to pursue the driver that I reported (in person) for swerving towards me and brake checking me after I'd 'gestured after a 'punishment' pass as I'd admitted I'd sworn at him (I told them not to bother and I'd deal with it myself in future and they could then deal with the public order offence). There's a whole thread on here from a few years ago from when I caught an arsonist in the act and 'delivered' him to the local nick (where I had to wait outside for some time for a 'response' team) for it result in no charges. Don't get me wrong, I know that the vast majority of individual coppers are sound, but the management/system round here seems to be a clusterfark.

 

[classic33]

It can be resolved at a local level, which I found amounts to little more than "a word in their ear".